Border tensions rise between Croatia and Serbia
Bulgaria pleaded with Croatia on Friday to immediately open the Bajakovo crossing at the border with Serbia to Bulgarian-registered motor vehicles or redirect them to other operating checkpoints.
The situation could only be resolved “by simply lifting the blockade”.
Aleksandar Vucic, the Serbian Prime Minister, said on Thursday he was optimistic that the border dispute could be solved in the next few days.
Croatia’s move cut Serbia off from many of its main trading partners in Europe.
Serbian officials said they would not prevent Croatian citizens from entering Serbia but will retain the blockade on freight transport from Croatia until Croatia reopens its borders.
“We are urgently seeking clarifications from the Croatian authorities“, a European Commission spokeswoman said earlier in the day.
In retaliation, Croatia closed the crossing to cars with Serbian plates.
The actions underscore the pressure exerted by thousands of people from the Middle East, Africa and Asia who are transiting the Balkans in hopes of making their way to countries such as Germany and Austria. Yesterday, Hungarian police arrested a Syrian migrant “suspected of taking part in a riot on the border with Serbia, entering the country illegally and being a member of a group used as a front by Islamic extremists”.
“I won’t allow that they make fools out of us and that they are sending all (migrants) to Croatia”, Milanovic told reporters. “We want to stop people crossing”, Orban said, stressing that he would first try to convince the worldwide community before carrying out the plan.
“By imposing this economic aggression, they are hurting the economy of both countries”, said Serbia’s Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic.
The remark came after the European Union called on Zagreb to provide explanation for its decision to seal all but one of its border crossings with Serbia.
The photo shows refugee kids in a bus heading to the refugee camp in Opatovac, near the Croatian-Serbian border on September 23, 2015.